


It's okay

by Alxx



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Male-Female Friendship, Trans Character, Trans Male Character, Transphobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-25
Updated: 2019-07-25
Packaged: 2020-07-19 21:53:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19981102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alxx/pseuds/Alxx
Summary: Ryuji Calls up Ann in the middle of thje night to talk to her about something.---self-indulgent fic.





	It's okay

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is pointless, I just wanted to vent and do something self-indulgent.

"so, ann?"

"Mhm?" Ann perked up.

Ryuji opened his mouth to speak but quickly shut it again. He's been acting weird for a while, ever since Kaneshiro ann has noticed he's been quiet and avoiding most of their friends. At first, she thought it was just hormones, Ryuji has recently started T, and she heard the effects can be weird. It got to the point where he wasn't as active in the group chat, she was surprised he even called her up in the middle of the night to hang out.

The park was nearly abandoned thanks to the few other people walking around. Ryuji had taken her to a quiet spot not as illuminated by the lamps. If he had to go through all this trouble to get her alone, then something was wrong.

"Ann, I- ah shit," The blond boy cursed, pressing his face into his hands.

"It's okay, take your time," Ann assured him as she placed a hand on his shoulder.

He tensed up a little but relaxed. Ann then moved her hand to stroke his back, which he enjoyed as he started to gather his thoughts. She kept this up for some time before Ryuji pulled away from his hands.

"Ann, I don't think I'm straight," Ryuji confessed.

Ann stared at him, her back rubbing stopping suddenly. Ryuji shot glances at her, looking nervous as he waited for her to speak.

"Wait," She began. "But, all that talk about girls and wanting them..."

"Yeah, I know," Ryuji sighed. "I thought so too. I mean, that's what a guy is supposed to do right? be handsome and shit so girls like them?"

"I mean, not really? well, not anymore." Ann stumbled over her words. "Like, Akira is bi. He likes girls and boys, and then there's Yusuke whose-"

She clamped her mouth shut as the gears started turning in her head. She finally got why he was avoiding the group.

"Ryuji, are you gay?" Ann inquired.

Ryuji avoided looking at her, instead opting to look down.

"Ryuji, don't be like that." She patted his back. "I'm a lesbian, remember? That's like, the opposite of gay but with girls."

"I know, I know but- guys are supposed to like girls. That's what is suppose to happen. That's why I go after them since that's what I'm supposed to do!" Ryuji's words started to shake.

"That's not true, I just there that wasn't always the case. Bi and gay guys exist."

"Cis guys maybe, but, I'm not cis!" Ryuji barked.

"Akira is trans, and he likes dudes." Ann protested.

"But he also likes girls." Ryuji retorted.

"Ryuji, I'm not following why you're so stuck on this. Trans guys can be gay too."

"No, they can't! They have to like girls; otherwise, they're just cis girls fakin' it!" Ryuji screamed.

Ann backed away from Ryuji. He looked like he was going to get violent any second; his fists were clench, and his face contorted into a vicious expression. Ann bit her lip, mulling over his words before she shuffled back next to him.

"Why would you think that?" Ann asked.

Ryuji didn't answer her.

Ann furrowed her brows, gingerly putting her hand on his back to rub it. It calmed him down, but he still refused to speak to her. She sighed and pulled him into a hug where she laced her fingers into his bleached hair. Like a baby koala, Ryuji clung to her.

"Why would you think of something so awful? Who told you that?" Ryuji didn't answer her.

Ann thought back long and hard, trying to figure out where he could have heard this. It couldn't have been at Shujin unless the track team had something do with this? No, did they make up? She doubts the teachers knew. Her line of thought eventually brought her back to middle school, and then it hit her.

"Did... did those bullies tell you this?" Ann tightened her grip on him.

She remembered Ryuji telling her about some bullies in middle school that used to tease him about being trans. It pissed her off, but she couldn't do much about it, if it was them who spewed this hurtful rhetoric, then she was pretty close to hunting them down. Ryuji stirred, bringing her back down from her thoughts.

"No, it wasn't them." He mumbled as he adjusted himself to where he had his head on her shoulder.

"It was a friend of mine in middle school. I told him about how I liked guys still and if that was a bad thing." He bit his lip. "He asked if I liked girls too and when I said no then he told me that I wasn't trans then."

"What!" Ann shrieked. "What made them come to that conclusion?!"

"They said if a trans guy like me still like guys, then I was just a cis girl wanting to be special. I had to like girls if wanted to be trans, so, I did just that." Ryuji confessed, pressing his face into Ann's neck.

Ann was horrified with what she was hearing. She couldn't believe what disgusting rhetoric that was coming from her best friend's mouth.

"Ugh, I bet this is the same kind of asshole that thinks trans lesbians are fake too right?" She seethed, grabbing Ryuji and holding him out at arm's length from her.

"Listen here, I don't know who that asshole think he is, but that is not true. I've been abroad for a while, so I know things and what that guy was spewing was lies." She stated firmly as she brought Ryuji in closer. "Just because your trans, doesn't mean it invalidates your sexuality. You're a guy that likes girls? Then you're straight; you like guys? Then you're gay; you like both guys and girls? then you're bi."

Ryuji's eyes were wide as Ann ranted, he felt weak and small as his friend was violently chewing into what he thought was right.

"Besides, you're not friends with them anymore, right?" Ann asked.

"Right..." Ryuji confirmed.

"Then you shouldn't like a shitty friend's opinion weigh so hard on you. Ryuji, you don't need assholes like that telling you what to do. You don't need to hide who you are just because you want to be accepted." She then pulled him back into a tight hug.

"Just be who you are, we're not going to hate you. I don't Akira is going to think less of you."

"What? what makes you say that?" Ryuji asked, confused.

"Don't play dumb. I've seen how you look at Akira and how you've been avoiding him." Ann chuckled.

Ryuji pulled away from her, rubbing the back of his neck. "I guess I just..."

"I know it's fine." Ann cupped his face and smiled. "It's fine if you like him. I'm pretty sure he likes you too, you just got to ask."

"What if he says no?" Ryuji winced.

"Well you're a pretty attractive guy, I'm sure there are plenty of other gay guys that want you. I mean, Yusuke is an option." She smirked.

Ryuji didn't say anything at that and just rolled his eyes, a definite hint of pink on his cheek. Ann chuckled and stood up.

"Come on, Ryuji. You owe me a sundae."


End file.
